A pickup truck collided with a large palm tree after veering off the road just after midnight on December 11, in the 700 block of Shoreline Drive, resulting in the death of 27-year-old Santa Barbara resident Luis A. Najera.
Najera, driving a silver Toyota pickup truck, was not wearing a seatbelt when he apparently veered off the roadway and struck the tree. The passenger in the vehicle with Najera was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident and sustained severe injuries. Najera and the passenger were transported by ambulance to Cottage Hospital for medical treatment, but Najera passed away about three hours after the collision occurred.
The Critical Accident Reconstruction Team responded to the scene to investigate this fatal collision further. The exact cause of the collision is unknown at this time. It is not known if alcohol or drugs played any role.
Najera’s family set up a GoFundMe page here.
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